Monteverdi: Vespers (1610)

This insightful guide offers a deep dive into Monteverdi: Vespers (1610), exploring its music, historical context, and performance challenges.

This comprehensive guide delves into Monteverdi: Vespers (1610), offering readers a thorough understanding of its musical settings and the historical context surrounding its creation. The Vespers is not only a remarkable collection of sacred music but also a source of ongoing debate regarding its intended use in the seventeenth century. The book explores Monteverdi's motivations for publishing this work and the implications of its performance practices today.

The Handbook provides an introduction to the service of Vespers, discussing the tradition of chanting psalms in plainsong, and offers detailed analyses of Monteverdi's compositions. Readers will find insights into specific pieces, such as the motet 'Nigra sum' and the psalm 'Laetatus sum', while also addressing the broader issues of performance practice. The author challenges established notions, such as the idea that sacred concertos served merely as antiphon substitutes, and questions whether the music was performed at Santa Barbara, Mantua.

In addition to a thorough exploration of the music, Monteverdi: Vespers (1610) includes the original texts and plainsongs utilized by Monteverdi, along with a discography for further listening. This guide serves as an essential resource for anyone looking to deepen their appreciation of this landmark work in the choral repertoire.